The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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TRACKING THE PACK NC State Looking For New Football Strength And Conditioning Coach NC State will be looking for a new foot- ball strength and conditioning coach this offseason. Strength and conditioning coach Todd Rice, who has worked for head coach Tom O'Brien since 2002 at Boston College, resigned Nov. 30 to pursue other profes- sional opportunities. Rice was a highly TODD RICE PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN regarded strength coach known for his strong beliefs in stretching and flex- ibility, which paid off in lifting weights, ac- celerating, decelerat- ing, separating from players, closing on the ball and preventing injuries. Rice turned down an opportunity to take a similar position at Nebraska shortly after arriving at NC State in 2007, and received a raise in salary during the process. NC State went through some difficult in- jury-riddled seasons in 2009 and this year, but O'Brien attributed it to bad luck rather than a fundamental flaw in the strength and conditioning program. "It's broken bones," O'Brien said during the 2011 season. "We got guys who got broken bones in their foot. We've got guys who have been chop blocked at the line of scrimmage at their knees and ankles. If you start pulling muscles, then I'll start talking about strength and conditioning. When you get chopped and your ankle and knee goes, that's a structural problem." Rice's track record at Boston College was the epitome of having healthy teams. The Eagles lost six games to injury in his last year in 2006, and another six in 2005. BC missed 20 games in 2004. Rice also previously worked at Califor- nia and with the San Francisco 49ers under Steve Mariucci, as well as at Yale, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ball State. The McFarland, Wis., native also was credited during television broadcasts this season for giving Wisconsin coaches a ring- ing endorsement of fifth-year senior Russell Wilson, when the star quarterback was try- ing to find a new home. Wilson eventually transferred from NC State to Wisconsin. Former NC State star linebacker Dan- tonio Burnette and former Boston College intern Craig Buckley were also part of the strength and conditioning staff as assistant coaches and remain with the Wolfpack. ■ PACK PEOPLE Stephanie Bronson, Women's Soccer The freshman forward was named one of the country's best rookies by TopDrawer- Soccer.com after the 2011 season concluded. The Web site listed the Raleigh native as the No. 38 first-year player in the country after she led the team with 15 points and tied for the team lead with six goals. Bronson started all 20 games and was a crucial part of the Pack going 10-8-2, its best record under third-year head coach Steven Springthorpe. Bronson ranked seventh on the team with 1,590 minutes played. Rollie Geiger, Men's Cross Country The longtime coach was named the ACC Coach of the Year for the 33rd time in his career after helping the Pack men claim the ACC and NCAA Southeast Regional crowns on the cross country course this season. Geiger also led the squad to a 10th- place showing at the NCAA Championships, which marked the 10th time that the squad has finished in the nation's top 10 but the first occurrence since 2003. Geiger has directed the men's cross country program to 15 ACC crowns, including 12 in the past 17 years. He has earned 13 ACC Coach of the Year awards in men's cross country, 15 laurels on the women's side and five distinctions for track and field. Coltin Fought, Wrestling Head coach Carter Jordan was excited about signing this 125-pounder from Blooms- burg, Pa., and it's easy to see why. The 2011 NHSCA Senior National champion has continued to impress and placed in the top three at each of the tournaments he has participated in during his college career. Fought debuted at the Wolfpack Open on Nov. 13 and placed second, losing in the finals to the No. 7-ranked wrestler in the nation, 7-5. After he placed third at the Pembroke Open the following weekend, he reached the championship match of the Nittany Lion Open on Dec. 4. Although he was bested by a top-20 foe again, he showed that he could make some noise at the ACC level as a rookie. Marifrances Henley, Women's Swimming Henley competed at the AT&T Winter National Championships on Dec. 2-4 in At- lanta and came away as a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100-meter freestyle after blazing a 56.89. She also swam in the 200 freestyle at the competition. In collegiate competition, she has also been leading the way for the women's squad. She was a part of a group that notched an NCAA 'B' cut in the 400-yard freestyle relay at the Terp Cup in mid-November, and she also recorded a win in the 1,000-yard freestyle against ECU earlier in the month. Bonae Holston, Women's Basketball The senior forward had a memorable performance in a 55-53 win over South Caro- lina at Reynold Coliseum on Dec. 4. In addition to sinking the game-winner with six seconds left, Holston tallied 20 points and nine rebounds for the Pack. After the win over the Gamecocks, Holston has now tallied at least 10 points and eight or more rebounds in each of the team's six games that she has played in this sea- son. As of Dec. 6, she was ranked fourth in the ACC with an average of 8.8 rebounds per game and 10th with 13.5 points per game. Jaime Pulgar, Men's Tennis The native of Madrid, Spain, had enough credits toward graduation that he was able to take a semester off from school and spend the past six months on the International Tennis Federation Futures Tour. The senior, who is a two-time All-ACC performer, posted a 7-15 record in singles while playing in countries such as Spain, Kuwait and India. He found his most success in doubles, though. Despite pairing with a handful of partners, he won four flight championships, including three in a row during the month of September. He now holds a 26-10 doubles record on the ITF tour and is ranked No. 873 by the ITF. Vivian Tsui, Women's Golf Canada has been very kind to the NC State golf programs over the past couple of years, and the freshman from Markham, Ont., is continuing the tradition. Tsui notched the best finish of her career at the Landfall Tradition on Oct. 30 after she finished in a tie for seventh. Tsui, who ranked second on the squad with an average of 74.1 strokes per round, has been a crucial part of the Pack appearing in the Golf World Coaches' Poll for the first time in program history, and the team wrapped up the fall season at No. 16. JANUARY 2012 ■ 19